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The Buck Stops Here

The medical director of an HMO tells
physicians what they can and can't do.

By

George Anders

Updated Oct. 23, 1997 12:01 a.m. ET

WALTHAM, Mass. -- To understand Robin Richman's job, it helps to look at her office bookcase. Huge medical textbooks are mixed in with paperback management primers. And within easy reach is a slim book that helps Dr. Richman reconcile the stubborn, mutually hostile worlds of medicine and business. The title: "Dealing With People You Can't Stand."

The 45-year-old Dr. Richman is one of four medical directors at Tufts Health Plan Inc., a fast-growing health-maintenance organization. She sets policy on almost...